Government's Targeted Efforts to Change Urban Fabric in Iran; From 'Neighborhood-Oriented' Security Patrols to the Plan for Creating Islamic Neighborhoods!

Iranian media have reported an increase in 'neighborhood-oriented' plans by government institutions across various cities, primarily led by ideological organizations, especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Fars news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, quoted Hossein Malanouri, the Deputy for Propagation and Cultural Affairs of the Islamic Republic's seminaries, stating that the IRGC is currently working on the 'Islamic Neighborhood' plan, the Islamic Propagation Organization's 'Imam Neighborhood' plan, and the seminaries' 'Standard Mosque' plan, all aimed at reviving the 'functions of mosques.' According to this government official in charge of managing Shia religious schools, these neighborhood-oriented plans do not differ in 'nature and purpose' and are even 'complementary' to each other. The Deputy for Propagation and Cultural Affairs mentioned that the 'Standard Mosque' plan, which utilizes mosques for 'cultural and propagandistic activities in neighborhoods,' had 3,300 clerics participating last year and 7,300 clerics so far this year. In recent years, various sectors of the Iranian government have attempted to establish and implement social, security, cultural, religious, and even health plans under the 'neighborhood-oriented' framework, aiming to change established relationships in different cities. These decisions and actions were taken following widespread protests against the Islamic Republic that began in December 2017 and continued after November 2019 in areas with little history of protest activity. Consequently, the commander of the 'Greater Tehran IRGC' announced in the winter of 2017 that 'all necessary coordination' with the 'Law Enforcement and Judiciary' had been made for the 'neighborhood-oriented Basij patrols' plan, which would soon commence in Tehran. Shortly after, the IRGC's neighborhood-oriented plans expanded thematically and regionally, encompassing areas from culture to health across various Iranian cities. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, on December 6, 2019, also advised Basij members to maintain a permanent presence in 'all neighborhoods of the country,' similar to the Islamic Revolution Committees in the 1980s. Now, after several years, other government entities are also reporting the implementation of similar neighborhood-oriented plans, such as the Islamic Neighborhood, 'Imam Neighborhood,' and 'Standard Mosque,' with 'no content differences.' In this regard, Mahmoud Tavakoli, the deputy of 'IRGC Mohammad Rasulullah of Greater Tehran,' stated on May 11 that the initial core of building a 'new Islamic civilization' is the creation of 'Islamic neighborhoods.' Ali Khamenei stated on December 27, 2008, that the 'complete realization of the divine promise' means 'the victory of truth over falsehood' and the reconstruction of 'the Quranic nation and the new Islamic civilization' that 'is on its way.' Therefore, the establishment of urban-social plans or neighborhood-centric initiatives, possessing an 'Islamic' theme and executed by government institutions, is considered one of the most significant features of the dream programs for creating a 'new Islamic civilization' envisioned by Ali Khamenei. The Supreme Leader claimed on October 15, 2012, that 'the condition for achieving a new Islamic civilization is primarily to avoid Western imitation. Unfortunately, over many years, we have become accustomed to imitating certain things.' For this reason, Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic, who also has a background in the IRGC, stated on May 4 that they sometimes examine the 'Islamic Neighborhood' from a 'social policy' perspective and adjust social policies based on 'geography and human communities.' These statements and programs are announced and implemented at a time when Steve Hanke, an economics professor at Johns Hopkins University in the U.S., classified Iran among the 'top 20 most miserable countries' in his report on the 'misery index among countries worldwide' at the beginning of June. The Iranian Migration Observatory, which is part of Sharif University of Technology and collaborates with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, reported in mid-April, relying on international statistics, that Iran ranks eighth among the 'worst countries in the world to live in.' The Persian section of Voice of America recently held a roundtable with several experts to discuss the dimensions and consequences of inflation and poverty. Ahmad Alavi, an economist, pointed out in this roundtable that 'this event harms the social status of people in Iran's class society.'